The Upside-down (Norminah)

Closure's Sweet Relief

《...Chaerin...》

I couldn't keep myself away from her. Minzy was my everything. She still is my everything. And for a long time I thought I lost her. Having her back in my arms, kissing her, laughing with her...it was all like a dream. Only the best part of it all, was that it became my reality. I had my love here with me, and I couldn't ask for anything more than this moment.

"Tell me everything," she giggled after I kissed her for the thousandth time. "And don't leave out a single detail."

I smiled at her before I nodded.

"After that explosion, I found myself in a forest somewhere. The last thing I remembered was seeing you before everything went black. In my foggy state, I tried searching for you, hoping that even though the blast blew us in opposite directions, you would somehow end up not too far from me. But then I remembered what happened to Dara and Bom, so I assumed that you had been captured too. Just as I lost all hope and accepted my fate, my friends Lauren and Ty came and took me in. Ever since then, I've been living with them in their home in the Upside-down."

"The Upside-down?" Minzy asked with shock. "You mean-"

"Yes," I said, "the stories we were told as kids were true. The Upside-down is real. Just as real as the creatures who inhabit it. Which by the way, Lealia and Nala? Yeah...Nala's actually a lioness with wings, and Lealia's a nine-tailed snow fox."

Minzy giggled as she grew excited.

"That's incredible! And what about the realms?"

"They're real too. And they're all beautiful in their own way. The one I've been living in for all these years is the Realm of Goth. Ty and Lauren created it themselves. It's such a beautiful place despite its dark appearance. It's helped me to develop some cognitive abilities."

"Such as?"

"Through my memories, I'm able to travel back in time. It's how I kept the memories of you so vivid and real. It's why I always longed to come back, just to see if you were still alive."

Minzy smiled, bringing her hand to my cheek as I leaned into her touch.

"I would love to see it someday," she uttered softly.

"One day I'll take you there. I have the ability to summon a portal to the realm wherever I am. But right now, I just want to spend every waking moment with you. Tell me about what's been going on here."

Minzy's face fell a little before she began.

"I'm assuming Seungri's told you about Dara and Bom."

I nodded sadly.

"He did. I wish I could've done more..."

"Chae no," Minzy said, this time holding my face with both of her hands as she looked dead in my eyes. "None of that is your fault. They felt that it was an honor to die for what we were fighting for. They always kept the vision you had of our home in their heart down to their dying breath. Us finally achieving peace back home and you being here is proof that they didn't die in vain."

She brought her lips to mine just as tears fell down my face. I loved this woman beyond words.

"After that attack, Seungri wanted to appoint me head in command. I didn't feel right taking on something that required so much sacrifice, especially when it's something that you worked so hard for. But the only way to keep myself sane while trying to hold on to the hope that you were still alive was for me to step up. So that's what I did. I appointed Seungri and Ji-hoon as my seconds in command. Together we fought many battles, and lost many friends. But eventually we won the war, and now we have a full army aiding Korean and Chinese government."

I smiled proudly at my Minzy. She was alot stronger than the Minzy I had unwillingly left behind all those years ago.

"Do any of the newcomers know who I am?" I asked.

"Absolutely," Minzy said with a smile. "I wanted them to know the person responsible for bringing us all together, as well as the ones who died fighting for our home. Everyone looks up to you. When they got word that you were alive, the whole base went in a frenzy."

We both laughed as she took my hand, cherry blossoms beginning to fall all around us.

"I don't know what your answer might be," she said quietly, "but now that you're back, I want you to be in command again. I'll be right beside you of course, but you're the real reason why this team exists in the first place. I can tell you everything you need to know about what's going on now. And with your new abilities and connections to the Upside-down, we'll be even more unstoppable."

I furrowed my eyebrows a little at her request, something about it not sitting well with me.

"If our home is finally at peace, why do we need to continue to be active at all?"

"Chae, I feel like something bad is coming for us. Not Asia, but the western part of the world. A great evil threatens to let itself loose on another kingdom. I don't know exactly where, and I don't know why. All I know is that I've had so many dreams and visions about it. You coming back was confirmation that the preparations I have for us to embark on our journey there isn't based off of just a hunch. We need you back Chae. Now more than ever."

I looked at her with worry. Though Minzy was the youngest of us all, she was the one who was most in touch with her spirituality. She could sense the slightest change in the atmosphere, whether good or bad. I had no doubt that what she was feeling was correct.

"We'll have to get everyone together before answers are given," I finally told her. "Lauren and Ty have more connections than I do, and my friends will be able to help as well. But for now..."

I scooped her in my arms abruptly, causing her to squeal and giggle.

"...I need you all to myself..."